I'll probably get killed for this later by the people I know but…Oh well, let's have some dangerous fun, shall we? ~melonkitty
Disclaimer: I don't need to say this, really, do I? I do not own the rights to Labyrinth. No matter how much I wish I did…
Don't Trifle With Me
* * * * *
She was sitting at her desk in her dismally empty, small house, more like a cottage, staring at yet another letter in childish handwriting, a letter from her six year old little half brother, Toby. She knew that the letters he sent her were dictated to him by their shared father. He wouldn't willingly write anything to her. Over the years, after her jaunt in the Labyrinth and a meeting she could never forget with the Goblin King, she grew severely distant from her family. Her stepmother wasn't her real mother, she could never hope to come close, her little brother, no matter what she had given up on his account never liked her, and her father, her father had let her fade into the background as he went on with his life with his new family.
Sarah sighed and replaced the paper into the envelope and tossed it into the fire. Toby wouldn't care, to his knowledge she never got them.
"I wish, just once, that I could have that choice again." She whispered to herself. Then with that idea she made and even more specific wish on a whim. "I wish I could have the chance to tell him how I feel. I wish to see Jareth."
* * * * *
Jareth grinned from ear to ear. He had her, and he would have his chance. With a flick of his wrist the crystal he had been holding flew into the air, and vanished at the height of its arch, along with the King.
* * * * *
"You called?" Came his silky voice from behind her.
Sarah whirled to see him sitting on her couch with his right leg hung over the arm, the side closest to her, she wondered. Her eyes took in his unchanged features with precision, before resting between his parted legs.
He saw as her eyes combed him over, and he grinned cruelly as her gaze settled on his crotch.
"Well, say something, my dear." He said, drawing her gaze up to his mismatched eyes. "Or did you summon me here just so you could look at me?"
She was speechless. Who would have thought that, with a simple wish like that, she'd find him on her couch, lounging like he'd been there for all time?
Her eyebrows rose as he said that and she turned back to her desk, letting the Goblin King sit there as though he belonged there.
After a moment, she found her voice again and spoke without facing him. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, Jareth?"
His eyebrows knitted together. "To yourself Sarah. You were the one that wished me here." He waved his hand around and his gaze followed, taking in his surroundings.
The house was small, with only a kitchen with a small breakfast nook, living room, and a hallway that he could only guess led to her room and bathroom.
As he looked his eyes passed over the only personal object in sight, a tiny statue of himself. The naked walls hinted at her alienation from her family. He stood to go look at the tiny statue.
It was him, but it was a horrid reproduction, it didn't show his eyes, or the grin that had glued itself to his face for display.
He looked back at Sarah, only to see her standing and looking at him with tortured eyes.
"It's been a very long time Jareth." She said coldly.
He was surprised by the look in her eyes and the tone of her voice, he turned so that he faced her completely. "It has." He said even colder than she.
She turned away from him and went into the kitchen, pouring herself a drink. "Would you like something?" She asked out of politeness.
"No, thank you, I'm alright." He said.
He watched as she went about doing things numbly, as if she were trying to ignore the royalty within her house.
After a while of watching her go about doing things, like putting a laundry basket in her bedroom, stoking the fire, getting more wood, washing the dishes, cleaning things that were already spotless, he reached out and grabbed her wrist as she passed by him.
She was surprised he had grabbed her arm, even more so when he twisted it behind her back and pulled it upward painfully.
"Jareth, that hurts." She gasped.
"It is quite unfair that you are ignoring your guest." He told her, pulling up on her arm roughly, getting her on her toes and making her gasp.
She laughed slightly. "It isn't fun is it?" She asked, unable to keep the torturing sadness out of her voice. She turned to face him even though it hurt her to look him in the eye.
He was startled by the tone in her voice, and even more so by the fact that she turned, twisting her arm in his grasp even worse. But the look in her eyes, it was torture. Her gaze looked haunted and distant, as though something had deeply hurt her and she could never forget. He let go.
She slumped to the floor at his feet with a sigh and as the blood rushed back into her arm she remained there, holding it close.
It would be safe to say that the Goblin King was confused. She had called him here and yet she was acting as though she hadn't.
He knelt to look at her, he tipped her chin up so that she looked him in the eyes.
"Why did you call me Sarah?" He asked, the chill gone from his voice as he saw tears in her eyes.
She was surprised by his question, to say the least and she tried to turn away from him. He held her face firm in his grasp.
"Sarah." He said. "Answer me."
She laughed at this nervously. "You don't have power in my house, Jareth." She said. But it was a lie.
He saw the lie and he smiled, knowing that he had her.
"Sarah, why so sad? You beat my Labyrinth, you denied me, so why do you shed tears?" He asked, his tone as if he were coaxing a reply from a child.
She looked into his mismatched eyes, and knew that she would answer, his gaze held hers. "I wanted- I…." She stuttered.
She tried again to wrench free from his grasp but he held her even stronger. "You wished for me to offer you something?" He asked. He knew what she wanted, he knew, but he wanted to hear it from her lips, to hear her say it was much better than knowing.
She nodded, eyes closed.
"Sarah." He coaxed.
She shook her head, breaking free of him and standing up to go to her bedroom.
But in a flash he was there, blocking her way.
"Fear me, love me, do as I say." He told her. "You wish for your dreams again, little Sarah?"
She was shocked. Her wish had been granted, the offer was made. But there was one more wish that she knew she had yet to fulfill.
"Do not trifle with me, Sarah, you know I can be cruel. Now, say what you brought me here to hear."
Sarah couldn't believe his words. He knew. He knew, yet why did he still want to hear it?
She sank to her knees before him.
He could hardly hear her whisper. "Please…please just take me away from here…I want to go back…with you." She cried, tears flowing unhindered down her face.
"What do you wish for Sarah?" He asked smoothly.
She looked up into his mismatched eyes and replied without any trouble. "I wish to go back to the Labyrinth with you, and you alone."
* * * * *
He smiled at the specifics of her wish, but granted it with immense pleasure all the same.
They appeared in his throne room, which Sarah had never before seen, and a chaotic ramble of goblin shouting and chicken clucking ensued. She slumped to the floor, nauseous from being transported in an instant.
"SILENCE!" He yelled.
And so silence ensued.
The King cast out his hand and everyone but Sarah and him, vanished, leaving them alone.
"Jareth?" Sarah asked frightened.
The Goblin King turned to her, a sad look in his eyes, like he was torn between two things. His voice was distant as it reached her, and frightening.
"How much do you love me?" He asked.
The question cut her deeply. She understood that he loved her, and he knew she loved him. So why ask this?
"Sarah, you know I love you, but I need to know, how much do you love me?" He asked again. His eyes portrayed a deep hurt.
Sarah gulped the lump that had risen in her throat. "With all my life. It's yours. Do with it what you will."
He was slightly shocked by her words, but he needed to hear it.
He sighed deeply. "For what you have done to the Goblin Kingdom, to it's people, my Labyrinth, and me, it's King, you , Sarah Williams are to be placed in the Labyrinth, as a prisoner for all to see, until it has determined to free you." He turned to her, pain in his eyes.
Sarah's eyes went wide. She wondered at his words. "What? Why?"
He looked her in the eyes. "Did you think that you would escape judgment for what you did? You scarred this kingdom deeply, that cannot escape punishment. The Labyrinth is as much a living thing as I am. It demands that you suffer." His gaze was cruel and caring at the same time.
She saw this and took a light comfort in it. Whatever was to come, she might, just might, be able to see it through.
Jareth leaned down and took Sarah by her wrist once again. Wincing she let him drag her to her feet by sheer force.
"I cannot interfere this time, Sarah. Whatever happens, know that I am sorry for it, and I will try to undo what will be done by the Labyrinth." He told her.
With a light kiss to her forehead, he vanished her.
He stood in his empty throne room, waiting for the time being.
* * * * *
Sarah reappeared in a small misty clearing with a stone floor.
She shuddered in the chilly mist.
The sound of metal clinking could be heard, and suddenly Sarah found her wrists, ankles, and neck bound in heavy metal, leading into chains that went into the stone ground at her feet.
A voice rang out, ringing through her skull and causing her to wince at the words.
You again? It said. So, now I can punish you for what you did. You bested me, you silly girl, no one passes though the Labyrinth. You yourself, will come to regret that you ever did…
Sarah felt the chains pull, and then she was flat on her back, the cold stone beneath her robbing her of her warmth.
After what felt like an eternity she was freezing and shivering, her lips blue.
Then, a rather strange sight to behold, a misty version of Jareth came strolling into the clearing and stopped to look down on her.
Tears were in his eyes.
She was shocked at this. He never cried.
"Forgive me." He said.
Then she saw what was in his hand.
It was a branding iron. On it was the same symbol that his medallion bore. It was bright red.
Fear filled her eyes as she realized what was about to happen.
Without a word, the misty Jareth knelt and looked at her sadly once more, before covering her mouth with a gloved hand and placing the red hot branding iron into her right shoulder.
She screamed through his glove as the chains bound her in place. The mist version of the King looked away as he pushed the iron harder into her skin before removing it.
Sarah sighed in relief as it left her skin.
But it wasn't over.
Jareth stood, and, as the iron grew red hot once more, walked around to her opposite side and repeated the gruesome deed.
Sarah wanted to die from what this was doing to her in her heart and soul.
Then, when he was done, the metal and chains released her.
Still she could not move.
"Sarah." He called, looking down into her eyes, branding iron still in hand.
"Yes, Jareth?" She asked through tears and panting.
"The dues to the labyrinth are paid, so written in your skin." He said painfully. "But, mine are not." He suddenly grew sharper, taking on his more solid appearance, becoming himself before her very eyes.
Sarah wondered what else she would have to endure.
"There are still more marks you must bear in payment, to me, if you wish to stay in my kingdom." He told her, eyes distant. "But this, you must take willingly, and do yourself."
Sarah's heart sank. She would have to torture herself? This was too cruel.
The branding iron grew red hot once more, and he held it over her chest, above her breasts, indicating where it should go.
Sarah licked her lips, and, finding that she could move her arms, pulled the branding iron to her skin and heard, tasted, smelled, the burning of her skin.
When the burning ceased her hands left the iron, and with a look at the man she loved with her life, she lost the lights of her world to a dark and pressing velvety blanket.
* * * * *
He watched with slightly pained eyes as she pressed the iron to herself. If any other than a mortal had to go through this they would die, the iron poisoning their body. But he also felt a sense of satisfaction, despite what he had to do on behalf of the Labyrinth. She was now marked as the property of the Labyrinth, and as such, was mark as his. He was proud of her, to say the least.
Carefully, he leant down and whispered into her ear. "I said that I was cruel."
* * * * *
She heard his words through the velvety folds of her consciousness and sighed inwardly. However, she felt the pain from her brandings fade away. Then sank deeper into the unknown of her subconscious.
* * * * *
Jareth lifted her carefully, so as not to make her wounds more painful. Many had before tempted fate with the Labyrinth, and most had not escaped unscathed. He wondered silently to himself at the courage of the twenty-two year old woman he held. She had branded herself, to bear one of the many marks she would need to in his name, he was certain that her heart was set on having him, if she could do something like that. He pondered about a lot of things as he walked slowly through his castle with her in his arms instead of magically appearing here and there as was his usual. He wanted to watch her sleep, he told himself, but it was more. He admired and adored her.
She stirred, and he noticed that the scarring brand marks were changing. They slowly healed themselves completely, and became startling silver scars, the one on her chest a deep ruby red.
She has paid her dues, she is now yours. He heard the Labyrinth tell him.
He smiled to himself.
Upon reaching his room he went over to a alcove and made a luxurious chaise lounge appear, with soft pillows. He lay her on there and sat at her side, brushing hair from her face, and looking at the ruby mark.
Through the sleep world she walked, her heard words that he thought he knew.
They were the final words she had said at their confrontation, only altered.
What he heard brought him more joy than her telling him she loved him with her life ever could.
"You hold all power over me." She whispered, nearly inaudible.
He smiled to himself, and, leaving Sarah to rest where she was, he prepared for sleep in his own bed.
* * * * * - - - - - * * * * *
Okay, this was going to be a one shot, but, things have gotten out of hand in my imagination…So, this is now a full fledged story! Hooray! Not for me though, I still have to write it. Umm, the chapters may be long in waiting from time to time, but I'll make it worth it, I promise. This will be under ten chapters long though. ~melonkitty